Seasons Of Change
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Tree Hill Dreams S2. A New club, a new girl, and new chances for Deb's Den.  It's just another year in Tree Hill.
1. Opportunities

SEASONS OF CHANGE

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Sequel to "Lucas Lies" and "Independence Day". Takes place in what would be season 2. belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I own most of the plot, but I am using a couple of season 3 storylines. I'm going back to school on Sunday, so updates may be slow.

Nathan Scott and his wife Haley walked up to their lockers with their friends, Marvin "Mouth" McFadden, Peyton and Jake Jagielski, Glenda Farrell, Brook Davis and her boyfriend and Nathan's brother, Lucas were.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Nathan asked. They shrugged.

"Nothin' much," Brooke answered for them all.

"Dude, what's this?" Haley wondered, holding up a slip of paper. To their confusion, the others also found the same slip.

"What do you think this is about?" Glenda wondered.

"Some group called 'Clean Teens'. 'Are you a virgin and proud of it? Do you want to take a stand? Come see Shelly Simon. Girls **and** guys welcome'," Brooke read.

"That sounds pretty cool," Lucas commented softly.

"Yeah, it **does**. Although it leaves me and Peyton out," Jake stated.

"Peyton and I," Haley corrected. Then, "Same goes for Nathan and me."

"It **is** pretty gutsy," Mouth agreed.

"Yeah. I'll probably join," Glenda chimed in.

"Well, I say we do it," Brooke announced.

"Are you serious?" Lucas questioned.

"Of course, Boyfriend. I saw your face. I know it's something you really want to do," Brooke told him. "Besides, I've been **really** struggling in this area."

"I-I haven't-?"

"No, no, of course not. You've been great."

"Well, let's go see Shelly," Mouth proposed. Glenda looked at her watch.

"No time. It'll have to be in-between classes," she reported. They all quickly grabbed their books and headed for class. In their first class, Brooke, Lucas, and Mouth saw a redheaded girl.

"Who's that?" Mouth asked in interest.

"Don't know. Must be new," Lucas responded. They all took their seats, Lucas sitting right in front of the girl.

"I'm Rachel Gatina," she introduced herself.

"Lucas. Lucas Scott," was the response as he turned around to shake her hand.

"Wow. Strong grip," Rachel said appreciatively. This guy was **hot**. She **had** to make him hers.

"Whatever," Lucas said a bit uncomfortably, dropping her hand and turned back around.

"Hey, relax, Clean Boy," Brooke whispered in his ear. He threw a soft smile. He was so lucky to have her. Rachel threw daggers at the girl whispering in Lucas' ear. What was so special about **her**? The teacher came in and started the class. Rachel huffed and sat back in her seat. When the class was finally over, they walked into the hall.

"Hey, Lucas!" Rachel called, hurrying after her. Lucas turned around.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Well, seeing as how I'm new and everything, I was thinking…maybe you could show me around?" she requested flirtatiously, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"Sorry. I don't think I'll be the best tour guide," he told her.

"And why is that?" she asked, still twirling her hair.

"Because I've only been here for about a year myself, and I **still** get lost sometimes," he answered.

"That sounds just perfect to me," she responded, moving closer.

"Uh, well, uh-" Lucas stammered, taking a step backward.

"Hey, Boyfriend!" Brooke bounded over and linked her arm with his.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," he greeted in relief as she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Walk me to my next class?" she questioned.

"Of course," he agreed. Rachel watched in annoyance as they walked off. _So lame_, she thought to herself. Meanwhile, Deb Scott was serving the breakfast crowd at her diner, Deb's Den. For several minutes, she was kept busy. Then, a man walked up to the counter.

"Yeah, what can I get you?" Deb questioned.

"It's actually what I can get **you**," the man corrected.

"I'm busy and I don't have time for riddles," Deb told him.

"Sorry. Ken Grant. And I can turn this place into a franchise," the man stated.


	2. New Girl And Club

DISCLAIMER

Sequel to "Lucas Lies" and Independence Day". Belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot.

Deb stared at the man.

"I-I beg your pardon?" she stammered.

"I can turn Deb's Den into a franchise," Ken repeated. "Just think about it: diners all over the country with quality food and amazing service," he stated.

"That sounds-nice, but I'll have to talk it over with my family," Deb told him.

"Of course," Ken agreed. "Here's a card. Call me when you make a decision," he told her, handing her a rectangular business card. Then, he walked out. Back at the school, Lucas, Brooke, Mouth, and Glenda had finally found time to meet up with Shelly.

"Oh, hi, guys. How can I help you?" she wondered.

"We got the flyers for Clean Teens. It's pretty cool," Lucas replied.

"W-wait. You-you guys wanna join?" Shelly questioned.

"Yeah. Why so shocked?" Brooke asked.

"Because other than me and Abby, no one ever showed," Shelly answered.

"Abby?" Lucas asked blankly.

"I think she means Abby Brown," Brooke told him.

"Yeah, that's exactly who I mean," Shelly confirmed.

"Well, you have four new members," Lucas told her.

"Really?" Shelly asked. The four teens nodded and Shelly's face lit up. This was great!

"Wow. Uh-this is really cool," she said.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Glenda responded. "It's a really good idea."

"Yeah. It is," Brooke agreed. "I just-have one concern," she continued.

"What's that?" Shelly asked.

"I-before I met Lucas, I wasn't exactly big on taking it slow-and I don't want people-"

"Look, when Abby and I got the idea for this club, it wasn't **just** for those who had never done it-though that is the main focus. It's also being geared for those who want to change their lifestyle. Now that's not saying that they're automatically virgins again, but-" she continued.

"But I can still join?" Brooke asked.

"Of course," Shelly assured.

"And it won't seem hypocritical?" Brooke questioned. "I mean-I was pretty much a sl-" she began to say.

"Hey, don't even finish that sentence," Lucas interrupted.

"He's right. You made mistakes. You're human. It happens," Shelly agreed.

"So, uh, what do we sign?" Mouth questioned.

"Oh, here," Shelly said, thrusting a sign-up sheet at him. The kids quickly signed the sheet and then each went their separate ways to their classes. In his biology class, Lucas sat next to Nathan and Haley.

"Hey, Buddy," Haley greeted.

"Hey, guys," he answered.

"Did you guys get in touch with Shelley?" his brother queried in a whisper. He nodded.

"Yeah. We're all signed up," he answered, taking out a notebook and a pen.

"Good," his brother and friend approved. The teacher shot them a dirty look, but continued with his lecture. Lucas hastily scribbled notes, taking the gist of what the man was saying, but leaving out the rest of the lecture. When the class was over, he picked up his belongings and headed for the door. He let out an exasperated sigh as Rachel bounded over to him.

"Hey, Luke," she greeted, draping her arms around his neck.

"Hi," he acknowledged shortly, as he ducked out of the embrace. Nathan looked at Haley.

"I think we better-" he began to say.

"Yeah," she agreed. They walked over to him.

"Hey Luke, do you think you could give me a few pointers in gym today?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, sure, Little Brother," Lucas responded, quickly grabbing his backpack and joining his brother and sister-in-law. "Thanks for the save man, that chick is crazy," he complained.

"She likes you-that's all," Haley responded.

"Yeah, well, throwing herself at me when it's obvious that I have a girlfriend is **not** the way to go," Lucas hissed. Rachel felt the frustration building up within her. _Why doesn't he like me? I'm hot, I'm sexy, and I'm available_, she thought to herself. She had heard him mention a girlfriend, but so what? Guys cheated all the time. This Lucas guy was probably no different. After lunch was their gym glass. Brooke, Peyton, Glenda, and Haley waited on the sidelines and watched as Lucas missed shot after shot.

"Is he okay?" Brooke asked in concern.

"That new girl-" Haley began.

"Rachel," Glenda interjected.

"Rachel," Haley repeated. "Has been throwing herself at him all morning. He hasn't said anything, but I think it's shook him up," she continued.

"Oh," Brooke sympathized. She walked over to them. "Hey, Boyfriend. What's up?" she asked.

"This girl, she's been-and it's-the same way-" Luke struggled to say.

"Okay, why don't you let Nate have a turn at shooting and we can talk?" Brooke suggested. Lucas looked to their gym teacher and basketball coach, Brian "Whitey" Durham who nodded his consent; and the two went to the bleachers. Rachel glared at them.

"I can't believe he's cozying up to that whore," she sneered.

"Pot meet kettle," Glenda spat out. Mouth, Peyton, and Haley stifled a laugh.

"Good one, Glenda," Mouth told her.

"Excuse me? Who are **you** to talk to **me** that way?" Rachel demanded.

"A friend of Luke's. And I'm telling you right now-leave him alone," Glenda retorted.

"Or what, little girl? I'm prettier, smarter, and classier than you," Rachel sneered. Glenda's face crumpled and Peyton stepped forward.

"You better step away," she threatened, getting into Rachel's face.

"And who's gonna stop me, Blondie? **You**?" Rachel scoffed. Almost immediately, the fist came out of nowhere. The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room and everything went quiet. From the bleachers, Brooke and Lucas stared in shock. When he had first heard the sound, he had tensed, flashing back to his adopted father, but now that he knew who had thrown the punch, he wasn't sure what to feel.

"Was that-" Brooke asked.

"Uh-huh," Luke nodded, finding himself staring at the normally quiet redhead that was Mouth's best friend. Rachel held her bloody nose and stared at the girl in shock.

"You hit me. I can't believe you just hit me," she said.

"I guess it's true what they say about watching out for the quiet ones," Nathan said.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Don't worry. I plan to show **all** sides of Rachel. Right now, she's just stuck in "witch" mode.


	3. Talks And Plots

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, yeah, it might be a good idea to re-read those fics otherwise this may not make sense. Here's more.

Dianehermans: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Sequel to "Lucas Lies" and "Independence Day". You may want to re-read those to reacquaint yourselves with the new reality. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot.

"Excuse me, I'm pretty sure that this is gym class not ladies night at the local boxing ring," Whitey said, coming up.

"You're going to expel her, right? She hit me," Rachel accused.

"You had it coming, skank," Peyton responded.

"I'm pretty sure that's expulsion," Rachel insisted.

"First offense, Red 2. Red 1 can take herself to Principal Turner," Whitey stated. Glenda headed for the door.

"I'm not sorry," she told everyone, and then walked out. Rachel glared.

"I can't believe you're all sticking up for her. She's obviously unstable," she stated. Haley let out a scoff.

"The only unstable one here is **you**. I mean, come on: constantly throwing yourself at a guy with a girlfriend who couldn't be less interested," she commented.

"I can totally change his mind," Rachel bragged.

"I **so** doubt it," Peyton commented. On the bleachers, Brooke took Lucas' hand.

"You okay?" she questioned.

"I can't believe she hit her," he said.

"Oh, I know-the quiet ones, right?" she joked. They laughed. "Um, so what are your plans for this afternoon?" she continued.

""Well, I have work at Uncle Keith's after basketball practice, and then some studying," he answered.

"You mind if I come over to watch you?"

"Study?"

"No, silly. Work. I like watching you work."

"I think it'll be okay." The bell rang.

"Come on. Let's go." They went to their other classes. At the end of the day, the guys went to basketball practice and the girls went to cheerleading practice. As Luke took his position as Shooting Guard, he felt a grin covering his face. He loved this. It was right. It was free. Nathan looked over to see Lucas. _Man, he looks so much happier_, he thought to himself. Then, his thoughts were put on hold as the practice intensified. No one noticed when Dan walked in and stopped at the doorway. He watched as his boys went through the drills. _Man, they look good working together_, he thought to himself. And Luke had come a long way in a year. He wasn't so jumpy around him and Keith, he was enjoying basketball and other sports, and he really seemed to like working at Keith's garage. Presently, Whitey noticed the newcomer.

"Why don't you boys take five?" he suggested.

"Sure, Coach," they all said. Whitey walked up to Dan.

"You didn't have to do that," Dan said.

"So, how you doing, Danny?" Whitey questioned.

"Good. Things are going good," Dan responded. "Lucas has really taken a shine to working at Keith's garage," he continued.

"That's good," Whitey said. "He's really enjoying the team."

"Yeah, tell me about it. He and Nathan practice nonstop at home. We have to practically drag them away from the court I have at home, and then they often go the River Court across town." The men laughed.

"What do you think Dad and Coach Durham are talkin' about?" Lucas wondered, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"No idea," Nathan answered. Then, "Hey, can I have some? I forgot mine in my locker." His brother laughed and handed him the beverage. Nathan took a swig and then handed it back to Lucas, who put it away. Then, Whitey called them back over and they ran back to the court. As Lucas executed the plays, he couldn't help the grin. He loved his life. He was so happy now. He could have practically anything he wanted and he didn't have to give away his dignity to get it. When practice was over, the group headed out in their separate directions. As soon as he arrived at Keith's garage, Lucas headed for the Porsche that had come in a few days earlier and began tinkering with it.

"How's it going, Luke?" Keith Scott asked.

"Pretty good, Uncle Keith," Lucas answered. "There's this new club at school that Brooke, Mouth, Glenda, and I signed up for," he continued, his voice muffled by the hood.

"Yeah, what club?" Keith questioned.

"Clean Teens," a new voice answered.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," Lucas greeted.

"Hey, Boyfriend," Brooke answered. Keith smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Clean Teens, huh? What's that all about?" he asked.

"It's for those of us who want to take a stand on abstinence or, people looking to change their lifestyle," Brooke explained.

"Hey, that sounds kinda neat," Keith approved.

"Yeah, it really is," the kids chorused.

"And Shelly said that she and Abby plan on making t-shirts for the club members," Brooke continued.

"And I bet you can't wait to get new clothes," Lucas teased. With a small exclamation, Brooke grabbed a rag and threw it at her boyfriend, who laughed. Keith just rolled his eyes at their antics, picked up the rag, and began working on another car. Meanwhile, Jake was at his own place of work, a semi-nice restaurant in town known as _Dreams And Fun_.

"Jagielski, table 2 wants more bread," his boss said.

"On it," Jake said. He grabbed a basket of bread and took it to the table. As he was coming back, he noticed a redheaded girl waiting to be seated.

"I'll be with you in a moment," he told her.

"Oh, I don't mind waiting," she said somewhat flirtatiously. Jake rolled his eyes and finished bussing a table. Then, he led her to a table and handed her a menu.

"Can I start you off with anything to drink?" he offered.

"Vodka," she instantly responded with a sly smile.

"Try again," he told her.

"Water," she answered, and he walked away and she perused her choices. _What do I want?_ she wondered. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the food. It was all so fattening. _Well, they have a salad_, she thought to herself. She nodded to herself, making a decision. Presently, Jake came back.

"You ready to order?" he asked.

"I'll have the Cesar salad," she answered.

"Coming right up," he said. He started to walk away.

"Hey, I saw you at school, right?" she queried.

"Yeah. You're that new girl, uh-"

"Rachel Gatina," she introduced herself.

"Right," he said.

"So, what can you tell me about Lucas Scott?" she queried flirtatiously, leaning in closer, allowing him a clear view of her chest.

"He's unavailable. As am I," Jake replied, staring at her eyes. "I'll be back with your Cesar salad," he continued, and then walked off. Rachel flounced back in her seat. _Boys here are so lame_, she thought to herself. Were they all gay or something? She drummed her fingers on the table. When her salad finally arrived, she began eating. She frowned thoughtfully. There **had** to be a way to get Lucas Scott. _I am __**so**__ much sexier than his girlfriend. And I bet he'll talk to me tomorrow and apologize for that geek's assault. I'm just lucky I didn't have to get a nose job_, she thought to herself. She stabbed her lettuce viciously. She'd make Lucas Scott hers if it was the last thing she did.


	4. Down Time

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Glad Jake has support. Good, you're not supposed to like Rachel at this point. We'll see about all that. Keep reading.

Dianehermans: Keep reading and find out.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm using some season 3 and four plots, but the rest is mine. I know that this is just a filler chap, but I wanted to show the core gang's typical after school routines when they weren't hanging out together.

Later that night, after Lucas' shift at Keith's garage, Lucas set the table, and then they all sat down.

"So, how was school today?" Deb queried.

"It was okay," Lucas replied quietly. _They don't need to know about the new girl. I can handle her myself_, he thought to himself. Sensing something amiss, Dan frowned.

"Son, are you sure everything's okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Dad. It was just a long day. I'll probably call Julian and talk to him about it later," he replied. "If you don't mind," he added nervously. What if he was tired of him not opening up to them? Dan and Deb shared a look, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Even though their relationship was basically good now, their son was still taking a long time to open up to them. As if she had made a decision, Deb nodded and Dan turned returned his attention to Lucas.

"Not at all son. It's perfectly fine," he replied. _As long as he talks to somebody_, he thought to himself. Besides, after all the trash the poor boy had gone through, he wasn't about to take away the one of the first people who had made him feel safe. Deb gave Lucas a reassuring smile to let him know that it was okay with her as well. _He'll open up to us someday. We just have to take it slow_, she reminded herself.

"Thanks," Lucas said with a relieved grin. Then, "So Mom, how was work?"

"Amazing, though a bit surprising," Deb answered.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"Well, this man, Ken Grant, came into the diner, and said he had a proposition for me," Deb responded.

"What kind of proposition?" Keith asked.

"He wants to turn Deb's Den into a franchise," Deb told them.

"Oh, wow. That'd be kinda cool," Lucas noted.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm kind of happy with just having the one diner. I don't know how things would change if I made a chain of them," Deb answered.

"Hmm, you'll figure it out, Mom," Lucas said. His father and uncle laughed. While this was going on, Brooke and her father, Chris Davis, were having their own dinner.

"So Brookie, tell me about school today," he encouraged.

"It was really good. Lucas, Mouth, Glenda, and I joined a new club today," she answered.

"Oh? What club?"

"Clean Teens."

"What's that?"

"It's a club for those of us who want to take a stand on abstinence or want to change how we're acting."

"Oh, wow. That's pretty bold."

"Yeah, it is." Brooke smiled at her father. Things had gotten so much better for her since the divorce. She and her father talked more and they had become even closer. Meanwhile, at their apartment, Haley and Nathan were having dinner in bed.

"This was such a good idea," Haley stated.

"Yeah, I'm glad I thought of it," Nathan smirked. Haley threw a piece of bread at him, which he expertly caught and then bit into it. His wife rolled her eyes.

"You're crazy."

"Yeah, but that's why you love me." Haley nodded and laughed. _Wow. Sometimes I __**still**__ can't believe I'm married. I'm only in high school_, she thought to herself. Then, all other thoughts were cast aside as her husband grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close and then started trailing kisses down her body.

"Mmmm. My wife is gorgeous."

"And my husband's not looking so bad either." They laughed together and soon got lot in each other amidst a flurry of hands and legs. At their own house, Peyton and Jake sat together as the girl held Jenny in her arms.

"Oh, wow. This was a good day," Peyton stated.

"Yes, it was," Jake agreed.

"I'm so glad our parents agreed to help us out with this place," Peyton replied. "I mean, I no longer feel like I'm mooching," she continued.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he agreed. He leaned over and kissed. Jenny made a whining noise and the one-year old tugged on her mother's shirt. The two laughed and returned their attention to their daughter.

"We haven't forgotten you, love," Peyton cooed, placing a kiss on the girl's forehead. Jake chuckled and stared at his girls. _Man, they're so beautiful_, he thought to himself. While all of this was going on, Mouth had gone down to the River Court to do some thinking and had run into Glenda.

"Hey, what's up? How's the hand?" he queried.

"It'll survive, though I'm not sure about the new girl's face," Glenda answered with a smirk.

"Her name's Rachel," Mouth reminded. _And man, is she gorgeous_, he thought to himself. Though, he had to admit, she wasn't doing herself any favors by constantly throwing herself at Luke when it was obvious that he wasn't into her.

"Whatever," Glenda said with a roll of her eyes when she saw her friend's slightly glazed look at the thought of the new redhead. He could do **so** much better than her.

"Well, I've gotta say you certainly surprised everyone. And that's **including** our friends," Mouth stated.

"What can I say? Brooke and Peyton are rubbing off on me," Glenda answered. They laughed. It was true. Glenda's reaction to Rachel was something either of the two girls would've done.

"So, what are you doing here anyways? I thought you said that you and your mom were having a mother/daughter night," Mouth commented.

"She must've forgotten because when I got home I found a note saying that she and Dad had gone out," Glenda replied.

"Man, that stinks. I'm sorry," Mouth said. Glenda shrugged.

"What can I do?" she queried. She sighed. "But you know, sometimes I think I could just disappear and they wouldn't even notice." Mouth put his arms around Glenda and drew her into a hug.


	5. More Talks

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. We'll see.

Dianehermans: Thanks, no prob.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm using some stuff from seasons 3 and 4, but the plots belong to me.

Two hours later, Lucas found himself in his room, still on the phone, talking to Julian.

"I just-I don't know, Julian. I mean-I know I should be talking to Mom and Dad about this, but I just-but for some reason, I just can't," he sighed.

"Well, why not?" Julian Norris wondered.

"I guess-a part of me feels like that they've already done so much for me that I don't want to bug them about this. I mean, it's only an oversexed teenage girl. I should be able to handle it myself," Lucas replied.

"Yeah, but Luke-and I mean no offense-but you're not like most boys. You're more sensitive when it comes to being hit on, and who can blame you after the trash Jack Mallone pulled on you?" Julian reminded. Lucas sighed.

"I know," he agreed.

"Just talk to them, Luke. They won't be bugged," the older boy stated. Lucas sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, all right," he agreed. "Talk to you later, man," he said and then hung up. _Man, what do I do?_ he wondered. He knew Julian was right, but would they really even care about such a trivial matter? He flopped back on the bed, picked up a basketball and threw it through the soft hoop. Just then, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he invited, and moments later, Dan came in.

"Hey, Son; is everything all right?" he queried.

"Well, not really, but it's trivial, and I don't want to bug you," came the response.

"Nothing is too trivial and I can promise you I won't be bugged," his father replied. Lucas hesitated.

"Lucas, are you having trouble at school?" the man asked.

"Not in the way you think," he replied. "Um, if you don't mind, could I-talk to Mom?"

"Yeah, I'll go get her," Dan replied. He left the room and went down to the kitchen.

"Lucas wants to talk to you," he said.

"To **me**?" she asked in surprise. _I figured it was a guy thing_, she thought to herself.

"Yeah," he answered. Seeing his dejected look, Deb reached over and caressed Dan's cheek.

"Don't worry, honey. He'll open up to you. It's just going to take him some time to fully trust us," she assured. Then, she gave him a peck on the cheek and then went to their son's room. "Hey, can I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, Mom," he replied.

"Your father said you wanted to talk to me. What's going on?" she wondered. Lucas sighed and sat up.

"There was a new girl at school today and…" his voice trailed off and he bit his bottom lip, a sure sign that he was nervous.

"What happened?"

"She came on to me-**really** strong. And it made me feel-" he began.

"Uncomfortable? Dirty?" she interjected.

"Yeah! It was like it was happening all over again!" Lucas stated.

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Did you tell her that you weren't interested in her?" Deb asked.

"Well, no, but she heard Brooke call me Boyfriend, so she knows I'm already taken," Lucas answered. Deb frowned thoughtfully. How could she put this?

"Honey, some girls can be more-**ambitious**-than others and need to be told point blank that someone's not interested. It sounds like this girl is one of them," she said. Lucas sighed.

"Okay, I guess I'll tell her tomorrow…in a group, while holding back Glenda," he said. Deb looked at him in confusion. "She decked her."

"Glenda?" Deb gasped. _She really decked somebody? She's so quiet_, she thought to herself.

"Yeah, I know. It surprised us too," Lucas chuckled.

"How you feelin' now?" she asked.

"Better," he admitted.

"Good. Now finish your homework," she lightly instructed, earning a mock grumble from the boy.

"Mom." She turned to Lucas. "It's okay to tell Dad what we talked about if you want." She nodded and then headed back out. Then, Lucas turned his attention to his desk and began working on finishing his homework. Back in the kitchen, Dan had pulled out a piece of cake.

"You just ate three slices," Deb reminded him with a laugh.

"But I can't help it. It's so good," Dan defended and then placed a forkful of the food in his mouth. "You know, I can completely understand that guy wanting to make your diner into a franchise," he continued.

"Danny, how many times do I have to remind you: chew, swallow, and **then** talk," Deb lightly scolded with a shake of her head. Then, she sighed. "I don't know, Danny. Being in charge of a franchise would be a lot of work. I mean, I originally just started it to pay the bills, and then it kind of blossomed into a nice hang out for the town kids. I kind of like that."

"I'm sure it'd be the same way in other places."

"Maybe. But I don't know, Danny. It just doesn't sound or feel right."

"Then, maybe that's your answer. After all, we're always telling Nathan and Luke that if something doesn't seem right to them, they should steer clear of it."

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'll tell Ken the next time I see him that the answer's 'No'."


	6. Decisions

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Well, you'll have to read on and see. Again, you'll have to read on and see. Well, give him time. I mean, after all, the worst of the abuse came from a male, which is why he's still skittish around Dan.

Dianehermans: Thanks, glad you liked it.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm using a couple of storylines from Season 3 and 4, but I own the plot.

The next morning, Lucas quickly got dressed and headed down to the kitchen, where he began making himself breakfast. Presently, his parents came in.

"Hey, honey. How'd you sleep?" Deb asked.

"Pretty good," Lucas responded. "I'll probably go in early so I can get this whole ordeal with the new girl out of the way as soon as possible," he continued.

"That sounds like a good idea," Deb told him as the two adults got their own breakfast.

"But remember son, be gentle. She still has feelings," Dan cautioned.

"Yeah, I know," Lucas said. The three sat down and began eating. Lucas couldn't help the grin. This felt good…actually sitting down to a meal because he **wanted** to, not because he **had** to. Dan and Deb glanced at each other and exchanged smiles. It was nice seeing their son so happy. Their son. Sometimes, Dan **still** couldn't believe it. After years of searching, he had finally found his son. True, the circumstances had been less than ideal, but at least he had found him. After they had finally finished breakfast, Lucas stood up, grabbed his things, and headed out. It took him only a few minutes to get to the school. He parked his car and then dashed up the steps and headed for his locker.

"Hey, Luke. You're here early," Mouth noted.

"Yeah, I'm gonna tell that new girl Rachel that I'm not interested in her and I just want to get it over with. Hopefully she'll listen," Lucas responded. "Do you know what Glenda's punishment for decking her is?"

"Suspended for three days." Lucas nodded.

"She got off pretty light."

"Yeah, she said that Principal Turner was lenient because it was her first time of ever getting into trouble." Lucas nodded. That was fair. They continued to talk as students trickled into the building. Presently, Rachel walked in, and seeing Lucas, she bounded up to him.

"Hey, Cutie," she greeted, draping her arms around his neck. Lucas ducked out of the embrace. She tried to repeat her gesture, but he grabbed her hands.

"Look, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I'm not into you," he told her. "I have a great girlfriend and I would **never** cheat on her," he continued. Rachel's jaw dropped. _Is he serious?_ she wondered.

"But-but-but-" As her face crumpled, she tried to think of something to say, but came up short. No one had ever refused her advances before. She was used to guys dropping everything for her, not shooting her down.

"Look, I'm sorry if I was harsh, but I wanted to make sure I was getting through to you," he stated, his voice softening. _What? __**Now**__ he's being nice to me?_ she thought.

"Whatever," she spat out. "I wouldn't waste my time with you anyways, since you're obviously gay," she continued and then stomped off. Lucas' throat muscles constricted.

"Man, and to think I was crushing on her," Mouth muttered darkly. _So much for __**her**_, he thought. Then, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. If she wants to be a brat, let her." It was then that Brooke, Haley, Nathan, Jake, and Peyton walked up.

"Hey," they all greeted.

"Hey," Mouth said.

"Hey, Pretty Girl," Lucas acknowledged.

"Hey Clean Boy," Brooke responded. He smiled softly.

"'Clean Boy'. I needed to hear that," he admitted.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Brooke asked in concern. _Did someone say something to him?_ she wondered. If so, she'd rearrange their face.

"I told Rachel I wasn't into her and she didn't take it very well," Lucas answered with a sigh.

"Dude, what happened?" Nathan queried. Lucas' eyes clouded, but he didn't answer.

"Hey, Broody, do we need to talk alone?" Brooke offered, and he flashed her a grateful smile.

"Naw, I'm all right, Cheery. Let's just get to class," Lucas responded.

"Yeah, all right," Brooke agreed, linking her arm into his, and they walked off.

"Hey, where's Glenda?" Peyton wondered.

"Suspended for three days." The others nodded, but Nathan looked confused.

"Isn't that kind of light?"

"First offense." Then, the warning bell rang and they headed off to their first classes. While this was going on, Deb had gone to her diner and opened the place up. She was in the middle of setting up, when she saw Ken Grant approach the entrance. She walked up the entrance and opened the door just enough so that they could talk, but he couldn't get in.

"Have you made a decision?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, that's great!" he approved. "What time should we meet to discuss things?" he asked.

"Never. Deb's Den is just fine as is. To make it a chain would ruin it," she told him and then closed the door before he could protest.

"Fine. Your loss, lady," Ken muttered. If she didn't want to be successful and be a household name, that was just fine. There were plenty of other people he could make famous. She had had her chance. Now she'd be stuck forever in this hick town as a nobody. With a roll of his eyes, he got into his car and then drove off.


	7. Daydreams And Confrontations

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Well, read on and see. Like I said, read on and see.

Dianehermans: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I use some storylines from seasons 3 and 4. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

Later that day, Lucas was in his history class, busily taking notes. _Man, am I glad I got that talk with Rachel over with_, he thought. She was one piece of drama that he didn't need. However, too soon for his liking, the class was over. He gathered up his belongings and headed for the cafeteria, where he met up with Jake, Peyton, Nathan, Haley, Mouth, and Brooke.

"Hey, what's up, Big Brother?" Nathan asked.

"Not much, Little Brother," Lucas answered, as they slapped five, which turned into a quick squeeze.

"Well, I knew you swung for their team, but I didn't think you'd be after your own brother," a condescending voice drawled. Lucas dropped Nathan's hand like a hot potato and turned around to see Rachel. "Isn't that incest?" she continued.

"How would you like another bloody nose?" Peyton queried, stepping forward.

"Easy, Peyt," Jake murmured, grabbing her wrist. She was doing better at controlling her temper, but he knew that the new girl was trying her patience. Rachel scoffed.

"What? It's so obvious that he's gay. I mean, he's not even interested in a hot girl," she said.

"That's because I already have the most beautiful girl in the school," Lucas responded, wrapping his arm around Brooke's shoulders as she grinned wildly. _Beautiful! He called me 'Beautiful'!_ she thought to herself.

"And I have the most handsome and sweetest guy in the school," Brooke added, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Rachel glared.

"You know it's not normal for a guy to stick with just one girl, don't you?" she asked.

"Says **you**," Haley commented. With that, they all turned from her and got their food. Then, they walked to a table and sat down. Rachel stared at them. _I don't get it. What does he see in her?_ she wondered.

"Miss, are you going to get something?" the lunch worker asked. The girl sighed and held out her tray. After getting her food, she sat down at a table and began eating. A burst of laughter caused her to turn around. To her surprise, everyone was laughing at something Lucas' girlfriend had said. _Why can't that be __**me**__? It __**should**__ be me!_ she thought unhappily. She continued staring at Lucas. What would it be like to be his girlfriend? They would probably be **so** popular, and they would rule the school, and be the golden couple…_Rachel walked into the cafeteria._

_ "Rach! Hey, Rach!" a voice cried. She turned at the sound and saw Lucas sitting at a table with some of his friends from the basketball team. She walked up to them._

_ "Hey, Boyfriend," she greeted, putting her tray on the table._

_ "Hey, Hot Girl," he responded. He pulled her onto his lap and began kissing her passionately._

_ "And I thought lunch was going to be boring," they faintly heard some_one _say._ _ They just ignored it and continued making out. _ Another burst of laughter broke her reverie. She looked around to see some of the other students laughing at what their friends had said. _Ugh! This is so lame_, she thought to herself. And most of this food was fattening anyways. She got up, picked up her tray, and left the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Dan was walking around his car dealership, checking the cars to make sure they were in top running condition when a man walked in.

"May I help you?" he queried.

"Actually Mr. Scott, I believe **I** can help **you**," the man stated.

"Oh, really?" Dan asked. _I can't wait to hear __**this**_, he thought.

"I'm Ken Grant," the man introduced himself.

"Oh, yes. My wife mentioned you," Dan recalled.

"Yes, and I suppose she told you about my offer for her?" Ken asked.

"As well as her reply to that offer," Dan answered stoically. Ken chuckled.

"Well, I was going to leave town, but then I remembered I was talking to a woman," he said. "And you know women: **absolutely** no business sense at all," he added with another chuckle.

"Actually, my wife has **great** business sense, and you've just proven that," Dan responded. Was this guy really stupid enough to think he'd earn points by insulting his wife's intelligence? He stepped closer, causing Ken to back up until his back was against the wall. "I would suggest that you leave, and not bother us again," he warned, his voice hardening, yet becoming quieter. Ken gulped.

"I-I think I'll be leaving now," he said.

"I think that'd be a good idea," the other man told him. Then, he watched as the man hurried away and shook his head. _Humph. Imagine, trying to get me to second-guess my own wife._ _Some people_, he thought to himself as he continued his quick overseeing. Then, he went back into his office, where he started looking over some papers. He frowned as he went through them. This was the part of the business that he hated, the paperwork. But it was necessary. He pursed his lips as he looked over everything. _Well, it's all in order so far, so I guess just need to add the two new Lexus' that came in_, he thought to himself. He made a face._ I really hate paperwork_, he thought to himself. Then, almost as if his brother was in the room, he heard him say, _Well, no one likes paperwork, Danny, but it's gotta be done_. Dan let out a chuckle and forced himself to get to work. Keith **would** say that if he was there. While all of this was going on, Keith had also been doing paperwork when the sound of an approaching engine caught his attention. He stood up and walked out.

"Oh, hey, John," he greeted.

"Hey, Keith," John Jagielski greeted.

"Problems, or do you just need some gas?" Keith questioned.

"Gas," John answered.

"All righty then," Keith said, and got out the gas pump. So, how are Jake, Peyton, and Jenny?" he questioned, as he began filling the car.

"They're doing fine," John answered. "Jake and Peyton sure dote on Jenny," he continued. Keith chuckled.

"Yeah, Danny and Deb were the same way with Nate," he stated. "Well, looks like that's it," he announced, and then named the price, which the man paid. Then, he drove off. Keith whistled as he went back to work.


	8. Clean Teens And Clubs

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Yeah.

Dianehermans: We'll see. Okay.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm using some plotlines from Seasons 3 and 4, but everything else is mine.

After school, Lucas, Brooke, and Mouth met up with Shelly and Abby, and they went into an empty classroom.

"So, like, how does this work?" Brooke wondered.

"Hey, is this where Clean Teens is meeting?" a boy asked before Shelly or Abby could respond.

"Yeah, come on in," Shelly answered. He walked in, two other boys right behind him. Then, three other girls came in. They waited a few minutes as various students walked in.

"Wow. You guys got a pretty good turn out," Brooke stated.

"Better than I expected," Abby admitted.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Shelly. "All right, let's get started," she told them.

"Now Lucas asked how this worked exactly, and I'm sure a lot of you are wondering the same thing," Abby chimed in. The students nodded.

"Obviously, we're not here to judge or condemn one another, but we **are** here to support and help one another," Shelly continued.

"If you're struggling with wanting to have or being pressured to have sex-and let's face it, the pressure **is** out there-we can come and talk to each other and even counsel another if we need to, though if it's something **really** serious, you should probably see the school counselor," Abby told them.

"So, it's more of an informal club?" a girl asked.

"That's right, Leslie. You don't have to pay dues, or report your whereabouts to us, or anything like that," Shelly answered.

"But we only want people who are really serious about staying virgins or making a decision to abstain from further sex," Abby interjected.

"But if you've already had sex, isn't that kind of hypocritical?" a boy questioned. Brooke bit her lip. He did have a point. "Not trying to accuse anybody, just curious," he hastened to add.

"That's a good question, Jack," Abby told him. "Shelly, would you like to take this one?"

"It'd be hypocritical for them to join if they said they wanted to abstain and then went out and had sex and didn't show any remorse for it or if you put yourself in a situation where sexual activity could come up. It's not hypocritical if you want to change your actions," Shelly answered. Everyone nodded. That made sense. Meanwhile, Rachel was at a club, having snuck in with a fake i.d. She ordered herself a drink and downed it quickly, and ordered another one. Presently, a guy who was a little order than her sat beside her. Rachel looked at him appreciatively. He was about 5'5 with blonde hair and blue eyes. _Wow. He kinda looks like Lucas, but __**way**__ hotter_, she thought to herself.

"So, what's a beautiful lady like yourself doing in a place like this all alone?" he asked.

"Big fight with my boyfriend," she lied.

"So you came here to drown your sorrows, huh?" he asked.

"Yep," she answered.

"I bet I could make you forget your boyfriend," he flirted.

"Really?" she asked. _Well, he __**is**__ kind of cute_, she thought. Maybe it was just what she needed to get Lucas out of her system.

"Come on," he said. She followed him to a back room, where he closed the door. Immediately, they started kissing as she was pinned against a wall. Rachel moaned as the man's hands moved all over her body. He felt **so** good. As he let his hands roam, the man smirked. This chick was **so** hot. He couldn't **wait** to make her another notch on his belt. He placed a hand underneath her shirt and let his fingers move upward. Rachel froze. _What am I doing?_ she wondered. This wasn't right. She didn't even know this guy. With a moan, she pulled away, causing his hand to drop.

"Hey, wait, hold on. Stop," she said.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Doesn't this feel good? he leered, stroking her waist.

"I changed my mind. I don't want to do this," she stated and started to move past him. He grabbed her arm and then pushed her against the wall.

"Too bad. **I**'**m** still rarin' to go," he told her, and then kissed her roughly. Rachel struggled against his hold and he tightened his grip on her arm. With her free hand, she lashed out, cutting his face with her nails. He screamed and let her go. Immediately, Rachel ran past him and out the door. She hurried out of the club and headed for her car, where, once inside the vehicle, she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car. _Oh, my gosh! What did I just do? How could I have been so stupid? I nearly let that guy have sex with me!_ she thought frantically as she headed out of the parking lot. Tears began streaming down her face. _Man, maybe Lucas' friends are right. Maybe I __**am**__ a whore_, she thought, as she continued down the road. _Why? Why am I like this? Why can't I find a guy that likes me?_ she wondered as she unconsciously sped up. _Why can't I be liked? Why do I always do everything wrong?_ her thoughts continued, not noticing when her car sped up even more. Suddenly, there was a loud honk. Gasping, Rachel turned the wheel to the right. The last thing she heard before slipping into darkness was metal scraping into something.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Well **that** ended differently than I intended. Read on to find out what happens.


	9. Rachel's Awakening

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Well, keep on reading and find out. We'll see.

Dianehermans: Maybe.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm incorporating some Season 3 and 4 plotlines here, but the bulk of the plot is mine. I only own characters you don't recognize, and I saw Craig Sheffer (Keith) on Criminal Minds on Wednesday. He does bad so well. I know doctors can't perform surgery on minors without parental permission, but I figured that in an emergency situation, an exception would be allowed. If it's not, then I apologize for the unrealistic portion of this chap.

Pain. Excruciating pain. That was the first that Rachel was aware of. The next thing she was aware of was a bright light and faint voices. _Where am I? What's going on?_ she wondered. She heard a man saying something, but couldn't make out the words. Then, she drifted back into unconsciousness. The doctors and nurses looked down at the teenager worriedly as they wheeled her into surgery, leaving behind John Jagielski, who had brought her in after witnessing the accident. Her name was Rachel Gatina, a fact that they had learned from her driver's license. She was in pretty bad shape, and they hadn't been able to get a hold of her parents. However, if they didn't move quickly, they'd lose her.

"Prep the o.r.," the doctor ordered.

"Right away," a nurse agreed and went to do so.

"Don't worry, Miss Gatina. You're in the best of hands, and we're not going to let anything happen to you," the doctor promised as they entered the operating room. They gave her anesthesia and then went to work. _Rachel looked around. To her surprise, she was in a cozy-looking house, which for some reason, looked familiar. However, she couldn't place it._

_ "Where am I?" she asked. When no one answered her question, she began to look around, her brows furrowing in confusion at her surroundings. __Why does this place seem so familiar?__ she wondered. She continued until she reached the kitchen. __I know this kitchen. How do I know this kitchen?_ _she asked_ _herself. Then it hit her. She was in her grandmother's house. But why? What had made her think of this place? _

_ "Hey, Rae," a voice greeted. With a gasp, she turned around. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen was an older boy with brownish-red hair and dark eyes, wearing a gray shirt covered by a black hoodie and pale blue jeans with motorcycle boots._

_ "I don't believe this. Am I dead?" she asked._

_ "Not yet," the boy answered. She let out another gasp and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. She couldn't believe it. He was here! "What were you thinkin' back there, huh? Lettin' the guy put his hands all over you and then speeding? Come on Rae, you know better than that," he continued, a slight tone of reproach in his_ voice. _Rachel blushed._

_ "You saw that?" she asked._

_ "Yeah. And I've also seen you throw yourself at that guy. What gives? That's not like you," he answered. To his surprise, Rachel suddenly hit him._

_ "No! You don't get to judge me! You left me!" she shouted, pounding on his chest with her fists._

_ "Rae-"_

_ "No, don't call me that! You left me, Jackson! You left me after promising that you'd always be there!" Jackson closed his eyes briefly._

_ "Oh, Rae. You know I couldn't do anything about that. I wouldn't have left you if I had had a choice," he told her._

_ "Why'd you have to die? I miss you," Rachel sobbed. _

_ "I know, Little Sister. I know," Jackson said. She sniffled and looked up at him._

_ "I thought-I thought maybe if I had a boyfriend, the pain would lessen, and hot guys were always coming onto me anyways, so…" Jackson sighed and stroked her hair_ _reassuringly._

_ "Rae, you'll find someone," he assured. "It's okay to go back, Little Sister. You'll be fine. I promise."_ While the girl was in surgery, John was on a hospital phone explaining why he wasn't home yet.

"No, they wouldn't tell me anything because I'm not her immediate family, but from what I've heard, they don't even have a way to reach her parents," he said.

"So, I take it you're going to stay?" his wife, Amanda, queried.

"Yeah. I think she should have **someone** here for her," John replied.

"That's a good idea," Amanda agreed.

"I'll see you and the kids later, honey," John said and they hung up. He blew out a breath and sat in a chair. _Man, how could they not have a way to get in touch with her parents?_ he wondered. They had found her cell phone, so why wouldn't her parents' numbers be in the contact list? After several hours, and after the man had fallen asleep, the doctors had finally finished surgery.

"Why don't one of you let Mr. Jagielski know that she's out of surgery and resting?" the doctor suggested as she was wheeled to the recovery room.

"I'll do it," a nurse volunteered and went into the waiting room. Feeling someone shaking his shoulder, John opened his eyes.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's out of surgery, and she's resting," came the answer.

"Will you let me know when she wakes up?" he requested.

"Of course," the nurse answered.

"Thank you," he said. The nurse smiled at him and settled back in his chair. In the recovery room, Rachel moaned and her eyes fluttered. _Where-where am I?_ she wondered.

"Hey, you're awake," a voice noted. Rachel looked to see a nurse.

"How'd I get here?" she wondered.

"You were in a car accident. It was called in and you were brought here," the nurse replied. Then, "We tried to call your parents, but-"

"I have a new phone and hadn't gotten around to putting in their numbers," Rachel interrupted, and then proceeded to give the two phone numbers to the nurse who then went to call them. About fifteen minutes later, Peter and Christina Gatina were at the hospital and rushed towards the help desk.

"Rachel Gatina, what room is she in?" Christina asked hurriedly.

"Room three-o-three," the receptionist answered, and the two headed in the direction.

"Rachel. Oh, my," Christina gasped, when they saw her.

"Sweetie, are you all right?" Peter as they came to her side.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Rachel assured them.

"What happened?" Christina wondered.

"It was really stupid. I was upset and I was speeding," Rachel answered. "Apparently, I needed surgery, and they couldn't reach you 'cuz I didn't have your numbers in my phone, and it was bad enough where they had to do surgery even without the consent and-"

"All right, all right. Calm down," Peter interrupted his daughter's frantic words. _Oh, man. I'm glad they acted as quickly as they did. If we had lost Rachel too_…his thought trailed off. Just then, the doctor came in.

"You must be the parents," he noted.

"Yes, we are," Mr. Gatina answered. "I understand you had a tough decision to make," he continued.

"Yes, we did," the doctor confirmed.

"Thank you for taking the risk. I don't know what we would've done if we had lost Rachel too," Mrs. Gatina stated, placing an arm around her daughter's shoulders. The doctor smiled in relief. _Thank goodness they understood my predicament_, he thought.

"I'll let you three be alone," the doctor stated and walked out. Mr. and Mrs. Gatina hugged their daughter and Rachel reveled in their warmth. She had gotten **so** lucky. And one thing was for sure: she was **never** going to do something so stupid ever again.


	10. Surprise Decision

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dianehermans: I know, but it was necessary for the story.

Long Live BRUCAS: Yeah, I figured she deserved some. Yeah, it did.

DISCLAIMER

Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry! I never meant to stay away from the story this long! I hit writer's block, which I still have, but I think I'm winding down with this one. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I incorporate some season 3 and 4 plots, but the storyline is mine as are characters you don't recognize. Okay, timeline here was that it was late at night when Rachel had her accident, and now it's morning. I apologize that it wasn't made clear in the last chap how late it was.

Back at the Jagalskie home, Amanda paced around nervously. _I hope that poor girl is okay_, she thought to herself. The door opened and the woman hurried to meet her husband.

"How is she?" she asked.

"She made it. The doctors had to perform emergency surgery even without the consent and from what I heard, the parents were glad that they did," he answered.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Man, what a morning," he continued, rubbing his face with a hand. I'm going back to bed."

"I'll let your office know."

"Thank you." John went back to their bedroom as Amanda went to the phone and dialed a number. At their own house, Jake and Peyton were getting ready for school as Jenny sat in her hair chair, eating cheerios.

"Babe, do you mind if we drop Jenny off early this morning? I need to do something in the school library before class," Jake requested as he made sure all of his assignments were in his binders before putting them in his backpack.

"No, of course not," Peyton responded, doing the same. Then, noticing that her daughter had finished her food, gave her a second helping, which Jenny began eating.

"I swear, she has your appetite," Jake joked. Peyton threw him a look of mock-anger. Then, once they were ready, she lifted Jenny from her high chair and brought her to the car, where the young girl was placed in her car seat. Then, she started the car and they drove off. Minutes later, they arrived at her husband's parents' house. Jake got out of the car and unstrapped Jenny's car seat as Peyton grabbed the bag of Jenny's things. Then, they walked up to the door and knocked.

"Seriously?"

"Jake, the last time we just walked in, we caught your parents making out."

"Hey! I just finally got that image out of my head!" Peyton laughed as she knocked again. The door opened to reveal her mother-in-law.

"Peyton," she said in surprise.

"I know we're kind of early, sorry. Jake said-" Peyton started to say.

"It's perfectly, fine, Peyton," Amanda reassuringly interrupted, moving aside so that they could walk in.

"Did Dad already leave for work?" Jake asked.

"No, he went back to bed," Amanda answered.

"Is he not feeling well?" Peyton queried. _We shouldn't leave Jenny with them if he's sick. What if she catches something? She's so little_, she thought.

"He's fine. He just had a long night," Amanda told them.

"What do you mean?" the kids queried and Amanda told them what had happened.

"Whoa," they breathed.

"Never thought I'd say this, but poor Rachel," Peyton commented.

"Yes," Amanda agreed. Jenny cooed, causing the trio to smile.

"And on that note…" Jake's voice trailed off and they said their goodbyes, and Jake and Peyton went back to the car, got in, and then drove off. Once they were at Tree Hill High, Jake immediately went to the library, while Peyton went to homeroom. She pulled out a sketch pad and began drawing. As she did so, her mind wandered aimlessly, and she only half paid attention as various students came in. Presently, the teacher came in and looked at them. She didn't really care what her class did as long as they were well-behaved. She saw Peyton drawing and smiled softly before turning her gaze towards the other students. Being homeroom, there wasn't really anything for them to do. Well, at least there was some that finished up homework in the class, so she was sure some teachers were grateful for **that**. After that, the students went to their various classes. As he headed for his class, Lucas did a quick check to make sure he had everything he needed. When he got there, he wasn't all that surprised to see Bevin holding court with a group of her friends. He only half paid attention as he sat down and took out the things that he'd need for class.

"So, did you hear about what happened to Rachel?" he suddenly heard her ask. He looked up from what he was doing just as Brooke and Peyton walked in.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know. She just said somethin' 'bout Rachel," Lucas replied.

"Oh, yeah. John was with her at the hospital today," Peyton recalled.

"The hospital? Why? What happened?" Brook wondered.

"My dad had the news on this morning, and apparently, she was speeding and got into a really bad wreck. She's in the hospital," Bevin told them. Lucas, Brooke, and Peyton stared at one another. _I didn't expect it to get around so fast_, Peyton thought.

"Man…" Lucas muttered.

"That's gotta be tough," Brooke said softly. Sure, she didn't really like the girl because she was constantly hitting on her boyfriend, but it didn't mean she wanted her seriously hurt.

"Yeah," Peyton agreed in the same voice.

"What hospital is she in?" Brooke wondered.

"Tree Hill County General," Bevin answered. Then, the teacher came in and everyone sat down. As the teacher talked, Brooke started out taking notes, but soon found herself wondering about Rachel. _I hope she's okay. I mean, I know she was hitting on Luke and everything and I was annoyed with her, but I never wanted her to be in the hospital_, she thought to herself. She let out a sigh. Her pensive mood lasted throughout the morning as the news of Rachel's accident spread through the halls.

"Hey, is everything all right? You seem to be pretty pensive this morning," Lucas noted at lunch.

"I just can't stop thinking about Rachel. I mean, she's in that hospital all alone, no friends, and I'm not sure why I'm even caring since she kept hitting on you, and-" Brooke began to say, but then trailed off. She wasn't explaining herself very well.

"It's because you have a good heart," Lucas told her. He took her hand. "You have a goodness that's overwhelming and even if you get mad at someone, you can't help but feel for them when they're in pain because that's just who you are," he continued. Brooke groaned.

"Why can't I just hate her? That'd be simpler," she complained, causing her boyfriend to laugh.

"But it's not you, Pretty Girl." Brooke rolled her eyes. Then, "Luke…do you think…uh, how would you feel-"

"You wanna visit her after school, don't you?" She nodded.

"I'll drive." She took his hand, leaned forward, and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Thank you." Then, they went to their next class. After school, they met their friends at their lockers.

"You almost ready?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah," Brooke replied.

"Takin' her to the garage again, man?" Nathan asked.

"No. We're visiting Rachel in the hospital," Brooke answered. Everyone stared.

"You and your big heart," Peyton sighed. _Only Brooke_, she thought to herself. Despite her apparent shallowness, her friend was really one of the most selfless people she knew.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" Brooke asked hesitatingly.

"For me, yes," Peyton replied. "For you, no. Do what your heart's guiding you to do, B. Davis," she continued.

"I will," Brooke replied.

"You guys want to join us?" Lucas offered.

"I'm not ready to take that step yet," Peyton declined.

"And I've gotta take Glenda her assignments," Haley responded. The others made similar excuses.

"I'll go with you." They turned to see Mouth.

"Come on," Lucas said, and the three left together. Lucas drove to the hospital. When they got there, they walked up to the desk.

"Hi. We're friends of Rachel Gatina's. Is she accepting visitors?" Lucas asked.

"Yes. It's room three-o-three," the receptionist told them and they headed for the room. Mouth knocked on the door.

"Come in," they heard her say. Mouth opened the door and Rachel stared in surprise.

"What are you guys doing here?" she wondered.


	11. Hospital Visit

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Yeah, I could really see it happening with her heart. Yep. Read on and see.

Dianehermans: Thank you.

DISCLAIMER

Oh…my…gosh! Sophia blew me away last Tuesday! Mark really utilized her talents this week. I also want to apologize for the long hiatus. I've been prepping for finals, and I'm not quite sure how to wrap this up, since I want to try to make this as long as the first fic. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot.

"I'm-I'm sorry. That was rude," Rachel apologized, sitting up so that she was more comfortable. _Why __**are**__ they here? I thought they hated me_, she thought to herself.

"We heard about your accident. We wanted to make sure you were okay," Brooke answered.

"But I was so rotten to you guys. Why do you even care?" Rachel wondered.

"Well, I don't know. You're the new girl, you wanted to make friends, you went about it the wrong way…" Brooke answered, her voice trailing off. Mouth fidgeted, unsure of what to say.

"Okay, okay, okay. I get it," Rachel stated. _I was an idiot. There's no need to rub it in_, she thought.

"Sorry," Brooke apologized. _That didn't come out right at all_, she realized.

"No, I'm the one who needs to apologize. Especially to Lucas. I mean, you made it perfectly clear that you weren't interested in me, and like an idiot, I kept going after you," Rachel replied. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done it, and I shouldn't have called you gay," she continued. Lucas smiled softly.

"Thank you," he said. _Nice to know that she realizes what she said and did was wrong_, he thought. Then, they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"So, when do you think they'll release you?" Brooke asked finally. Rachel shrugged.

"I'm not sure," she answered. "But I can't wait. I hate hospitals," she continued.

"I don't blame you," Lucas said. _Goodness knows I've had my fill of these places thanks to Jack_, he thought to himself.

"Yeah, hospitals aren't exactly known for their ragers," Mouth quipped and the others laughed as Rachel smiled softly.

"Listen, do you think we could start over? Clean slate?" she asked. Mouth, Brooke and Lucas looked at each other and Rachel bit her bottom lip nervously. Had she totally blown things? Had she been too presumptuous? After all, they probably still hated her. Mouth cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say. Despite his earlier claim, he **was** still attracted to her. However, Lucas and Brooke were his friends, and they always came first. Brooke looked at Lucas, trying to discern any sign of discomfort from her boyfriend. However, he just looked thoughtful. Lucas fought internally. Could he start over with Rachel? Forgiving misconceptions and bad attitudes was one thing, but actually keeping someone like that in his life was another story. Then again, it wasn't like she had **really** hurt him. So she had accused him of liking guys. There had been worse things that he had been called.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Lucas finally said. Rachel let out a relieved laugh. She hadn't completely messed up. She still had a chance to make friends. _Oh, thank goodness_, she thought to herself. Just then, the nurse came in.

"Okay, everybody. Miss Gatina needs her rest," the woman announced. Rachel groaned. It was too soon.

"Hey, you rest up, and we'll visit you again later," Brooke promised.

"Really?" Rachel questioned, her face lighting up.

"Really," Lucas, Brooke, and Mouth promised.

"Thanks. I'd really like that," Rachel said. Then, they all said their goodbyes, and the three teens walked out.

"You're a good guy, Lucas," Mouth told him.

"It's no big deal," Lucas said.

"It's a **very** big deal, Boyfriend. We all know you have a hard time trusting," Brooke reminded, cupping a cheek with her hand. "You have such a good heart, but it's been hurt so you guard it very closely. It's good that you've started to open it." Lucas leaned into the touch. How had he gotten so lucky? _I still can't believe that she sees me. How can she see me so well?_ Lucas wondered. They reached Lucas' car and they all got in. Lucas dropped Mouth at home first.

"Marvin McFadden, where have you been?" was the first thing Mouth heard when he walked through the door.

"Oh, shoot. I forgot to call you, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." With a sheepish expression, the boy explained what he, Lucas, and Brooke had done.

"Well, I suppose we can let you off. After all, it's not often that you're remiss." Lucas continued on his way.

"Is your dad expecting you?"

"Sadly, because I would love to hang out with you more, yes. However, it **is** Lasagna Night, so it's not a total loss." Lucas laughed. He knew how much Brooke loved her dad's lasagna.

"All right. I'll drop you off." With that, Lucas headed towards Brooke's house. Brooke leaned back as the two sat in comfortable silence. Brooke's mind wandered to the changes in her boyfriend that had occurred this past year. After the trial, he had started calling the Scotts "Mom" and "Dad", he was coming out of his shell, and most importantly, he was speaking up when he didn't want to do something. Sure it had caused the occasional fight with his parents, but for the most part, they were just grateful that he was becoming comfortable enough with them to say something. _But he still feels things so deeply. It takes a lot for him to trust. I'm glad he decided he could trust Rachel. And I'm really glad she apologized. I know he was hurt by her comment_, she thought. Lucas looked at her.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Pretty Girl?" he wondered.

"Just thinking," she answered. "You know, I'm really proud of you. I know it hasn't been easy stating your opinion," she continued.

"Well, being allowed to is still taking some getting used to. I mean, for so long, it was whatever Jack and Brenda said, went. No arguments, no back-talking," he recalled, his eyes clouding. He still sometimes had nightmares, but lucky, they were becoming fewer and farther in-between. Brooke reached over and squeezed his hand, resulting in a grateful smile from her boyfriend. Presently, they reached her house.

"See you, Cheery."

"Bye, Broody." Lucas laughed and waved as she went inside.

"Brooke, is everything okay? You're late," Chris stated.

"Oh, my gosh! I never called you!" Brooke realized, putting a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Daddy! We were visiting the new girl in the hospital. She was in a car accident," she continued.

"It's all right. I understand. Just don't make it a habit," her father stated.

"I won't. Thank you, Daddy," Brooke said.

"Come on, Brookie, let's get us some dinner," the man said, and the two went to their kitchen. Lucas waited until Brooke had made it inside and then drove off. When he finally got home, he saw his parents waiting for him by the driveway. _Oh, man! I completely forgot to call them!_ he realized as he turned off the engine. Were they mad? Warily, he got out of the car. _They don't…__**look**__ mad, but I had some foster dads that never gave any warning before they attacked_, he recalled. Those foster homes had been before Jack and Brenda.

"Where've you been?" Dan asked. _Remember, be cool, Danny. You don't want to scare him. Though, I __**would**__ like to know where he was_, he thought.

"We were visiting that new girl, Rachel at the hospital," Lucas answered.

"Oh, yes. Keith told me that John Jagielski had stayed with her last night," Dan recalled.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you. I'll accept whatever punishment you decide to give me," Lucas told the. Dan and Deb shared a look, having a silent conversation with their eyes before turning back to their son.

"We're not going to punish you, Lucas. It was an honest mistake," Dan finally told him. Lucas let out a breath that he hadn't even known he was holding.

"But please…don't scare us like that again," Deb requested.

"I'll try not to, Mom," Lucas responded. The two pulled him into a hug, and then they went back inside.


	12. Decisions And New Turns

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I wanted to give all of the characters their own perspectives on things. Yeah, I thought it'd be a nice little humor moment. Well, it makes sense with what he's lived through, and yeah, he's that comfortable at least.

Dianehermans: Thanks, I'm glad you liked that part.

DISCLAIMER

Oh, for heaven's sake! This chapter took longer than I expected! I completely apologize; you all must think I abandoned this fic! I think there's only one or two more chapters left till I'm finished. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm adding plotlines from Seasons 3 and 4, but the rest of the plot and characters you don't recognize are mine.

The next morning, Lucas was awakened by contemporary rock coming out of his radio. He moaned and shut off his alarm. Then, he got dressed and headed downstairs, where Deb was making breakfast.

"How'd you sleep, Honey?" she questioned.

"Fine, Mom," he answered. Then, "Oh, I never asked you. What'd you decide about that guy's offer?"

"Turned him down. It didn't feel right." Lucas nodded. That made sense. Mom and Dad were always telling him, Nathan, and Haley that they should trust their instincts.

"Well, I'm sorry it didn't feel right, but honestly, I think the whole feel of the place would've been lost if it had been turned into a franchise," he stated.

"I completely agree," Dan commented and Deb chuckled softly. When breakfast was finally ready, they all sat down. Deb and Dan watched as Lucas ate and then shared a smile. When breakfast was done, they all did their dishes and went on their way. At school, Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Jake, Peyton, and Mouth gravitated towards one another.

"Hey, what's up? Any good gossip?" Brooke asked.

"Not yet," Peyton responded.

"Well, it's still morning," Mouth quipped. They all laughed.

"So, um, how did your-" Peyton's question trailed off as she saw Glenda approach them.

"Glenda!" the girl laughed as Peyton quickly wrapped her into a crushing hug.

"I think somebody missed me," she quipped, trying to squirm free.

"Well, of course. Our group wasn't complete," Peyton responded, releasing her friend.

"So then, Peyt, what were you asking?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to know how Brooke and Lucas' meeting with Rachel went," Peyton replied.

"You met up with her?" Glenda asked in surprise. _What'd I miss while I was gone?_ she wondered.

"Yeah, well, you know my big heart," Brooke responded. "Besides, she apologized, and we decided to give her another chance," she continued.

"Man, I'm gone from school three days and I miss **everything**," Glenda griped. "So, what happened?" With that, Lucas proceeded to tell her everything. Glenda's eyes widened when she learned that the girl had been in an accident. Sure, she had been annoyed with the girl for flirting with one of her best friend's boyfriends and had punched her out, but that was in defense of her friend, but that didn't mean she wanted her to be seriously hurt.

"I still can't believe you guys went to see her," Peyton commented with a shake of her head. _She really __**is**__ too trusting sometimes. What if Rachel's just playing them?_ she wondered with a frown. Well, if that was the case, she'd help Glenda kick her butt. But…if Brooke and Lucas were willing to give her a chance, she'd control herself. After all, Lucas didn't trust very easily, and if he was willing to give Rachel another chance, how could she not do the same? As if sensing her inner struggle, Lucas looked at her and smiled softly.

"I know. And thank you," he said. Then, they fell into an awkward silence.

"So, uh, does anyone know when Rachel's getting out of the hospital?" Nathan wondered.

"Well, when we visited her, she didn't seem to have any major injuries…that we could see anyways, so I'd assume she'd be out pretty soon. But then again, I'm not sure. She could've been more injured than we saw," Brooke answered.

"That makes sense," the others said. Then, they all went to their classes before the warning bell rang. In class, Brooke let her mind wander just a little. Had she **really** made the right decision? What if Rachel was just playing them? _I don't know if I could take it if Lucas' trust got broken_, she thought to herself. From the few talks they had had about his past before the Mallones, she knew that her boyfriend had been through a lot. And if she could, she'd like to protect him getting hurt again. While the other kids of Tree Hill were going about their day at school, Rachel's parents were talking to the doctors.

"She's made a good recovery so far, but she's not out of the woods yet. Her accident was really bad. Truthfully, with the extent of the damage that the car sustained, your daughter's lucky to be alive," the doctor stated.

"Is there anything that we can do?" Christina asked.

"Well, we'll have to continue watching her to make sure that there are no complications from the surgery," the doctor stated, causing Christina to turn to her husband in alarm. Complications? She hadn't even thought of that.

"Of course," Peter agreed, patting his wife's wrist soothingly.

"This is just routine of course," the doctor assured, seeing the action. Afterwards, they went back to Rachel's room.

"What's going on? Can I go home now?" the girl asked.

"Sorry, honey. Not yet," Peter told her.

"But I hate it here. I want to go home," Rachel replied with a slight whine.

"I don't blame you," Christina stated. Then, "So, you want to tell us what made you so upset that you were speeding?" Rachel hesitated. How could she explain to them that she had nearly done something **really** stupid and dangerous? They would kill her! "Honey?" her mother asked. The girl looked at her parents and then made a decision. With a sigh, she told them everything that had happened leading up to the accident.

"I know it was stupid acting that way with a guy-I mean, I know better. You taught me better. I couldn't believe I was acting so stupid," she finished.

"We'll discuss your punishment later. Right now, you just continue getting well," Peter told her.

"Yes, Daddy," Rachel nodded. "I really **am** sorry," she added.

"I know you are, but it doesn't excuse your behavior."

"I know." Rachel looked down and fiddled with the blankets. _I am __**so**__ grounded_, she thought. But it was better than the alternative. She could've **died** in that crash. _Never again. I'm going to stop this foolishness and start being myself again_, she determined. She smiled a soft smile. The real Rachel was back. Jackson would be so proud.


	13. Calming Down

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thank you. Well, I thought it fit them. Yeah, he's getting there. Older brother who died. Well, keep reading and see.

Dianehermans: No problem, glad you liked it.

DISCLAIMER

Resides in my "Lucas Lies" reality and is technically Season 2, though I use a couple of season 3 and 4 plots. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. Characters and plots you don't recognize belong to me. I'm not really sure how long a person would have to stay in the hospital after a bad car accident, and I'm pretty sure this isn't accurate, but it worked for my story.

It was another three days before Rachel was finally released from the hospital. When she and her parents got home, they led her to her bed.

"Guys, I'm fine now. Even the doctors said so," Rachel reminded them.

"They also said that you still had to take it easy," her mother replied. Rachel grumbled a bit, but let her parents tuck her in. _I'll admit…it __**does**__ feel nice to be taken care of_, she thought to herself.

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay? We can," her father offered.

"It's all right, Daddy. You two should go out and have fun. I'll be fine," Rachel stated.

"Okay, Sweetie. We have our cell phones on if you need us," her mother reminded, giving her a kiss on her forehead. Rachel smiled at her parents. The two left and the girl turned on the television and began flipping through the channels. Then, one of the programs caused her to pause. _Hey, it's Gunsmoke. Score_, she thought. Then, she settled back in her bed and smiled as the show played. _Man, I remember when Jackson and I would watch reruns together_, she thought to herself. Jackson. She hadn't told her parents about seeing the boy. She wasn't sure if they would even believe her. Heck, she wasn't sure if **she** believed it. And yet…it had helped her. Soon, all her thoughts on Jackson were gone as she focused on Marshal Dillon and the rest of the gang of Gunsmoke. She laughed at the funny parts and cheered at the action parts. Before she knew it, a few hours had gone by. She glanced at the clock. _Oh, my gosh! Seriously? The marathon ran __**that**__ long?_ she thought. Then, she started flipping through the channels again, but returned to the western channel. _Everything else is lame. I'm not in the mood for trashy romance_, she thought. Meanwhile, Lucas and the others were at Tree Hill High,

"So, I thought Rachel got out of the hospital today," Mouth commented.

"Yeah, didn't you guys see her this morning?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, we did, and she **was** released today," Lucas replied.

"So, where is she?" Glenda asked.

"Her parents still want her to take it easy. Can't say I blame them for worrying. From what I heard, the accident was pretty nasty," Brooke answered. The others nodded. That made sense. Then, the bell for their next classes rang and they headed their separate ways. When lunch finally came around, Brooke, Lucas, Haley, Nathan, Peyton, Jake, Glenda, and Mouth all met at a table.

"Okay. Seriously, are we really going to need pre-algebra in our daily lives after we graduate?" Brooke complained.

"Well, if you want to be an accountant or somethin'," Jake answered.

"Well, I don't! I want to be a fashion designer!" Brooke protested.

"But you might need the math to make sure no one cooks the books," Peyton responded. Everyone turned to stare at her. "What? It's a valid concern," she defended.

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours, Blondie," Lucas commented with a shake of his head.

"Well, we always said I wasn't your average blonde," Peyton responded. They all laughed.

"This is true," they all agreed.

"So, how's Jenny doing?" Brooke asked. Peyton's expression became enamored.

"Oh, she's getting so big. I can't believe she's already a year old," she told them.

"Oh, here she goes again," Nathan laughed and Haley elbowed him.

"I'm just worried about when she grows up: all those boys," Jake groaned.

"Easy, there, Jake. That's not happening for a while," Glenda assured with a laugh.

"True," the boy agreed.

"Hey, Nate. We got practice today, right?" Lucas checked.

"Uh, I think so. Whitey was a little iffy on it. We can ask him," Nathan replied.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Lucas nodded.

"Hey, come on. Let's go ask him before our next class," Nathan suggested.

"I'm game for that," Lucas agreed. They stood up and headed out.

"But-" Haley began to protest.

"Hey, more for us," Peyton laughed, grabbing food from Nathan's tray as Brooke did the same with Lucas' tray. Nathan and Lucas headed for Coach Durham's office. Seeing the door closed, Nathan knocked.

"Come in," they heard the man call. Lucas opened the door and they walked in. "Well, what can I do for you boys?" he asked.

"Do we have practice today?" Nathan wondered. "You've been a little iffy on that," he continued.

"No. You boys have been working hard enough and I think you need a bit of a break," Coach Durham answered.

"All right. Thanks, Coach," Lucas said.

"Make sure you're not late for class," the man told them as they headed out.

"Sure thing, Coach," they agreed with a laugh.

"Come on, man. Let's go see if we have any lunch left," Lucas said. The brothers laughed again and headed back to the cafeteria.

"So, do we have any food left?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. Why don't we get some more just in case?" Nathan responded.

"Good idea." They each got a new tray of food and walked back to their table.

"So, what about practice?" Brooke asked.

"No practice. He thinks we're working too hard," Lucas answered.

"Well, he's not wrong there," Brooke answered. Lucas and Nathan rolled their eyes. Then, they finished their lunches and headed to their classes. As the teacher began her lesson, Lucas leaned back in his chair and smiled. He and Brooke had made peace with Rachel, and life was good again.


	14. A Little Town Called Tree Hill

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

Dianehermans: No prob, thanks, I'm glad you think it was fast, because I'm sure sure it wasn't.

DISCLAIMER

One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot, but I used a couple of plotlines from Season 3 and 4.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Lucas sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the equations. _Ew. I hate math_, he thought to himself. And the fact that the formulas weren't making any sense did nothing to help him. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he invited. The door opened to reveal Dan.

"How's the homework coming?" he asked.

"Not good. I can't figure out this math assignment," came the response.

"Um, would you-would you like some help?" Dan hesitantly offered. _I don't want to push him, and I have no idea if this will set back his progress_, he thought. Lucas looked at him in surprise. Jack had **never** offered to help him with his homework, just breaks that weren't actually breaks. Dan shifted on his feet. Had he pushed too hard?

"That'd be great, Dad. Thanks," he answered. "Because truthfully, I'm getting all mixed up here," he continued.

"Well, let's see what we can do to un-mix you up," Dan stated, taking a seat next to his son. Soon, they were immersed in the subject. Meanwhile, Deb was at the diner taking orders and having the waiters and waitresses bring out the food when she couldn't. _Yes, this is perfect. I was right. Deb's Den is just fine the way it is_, she thought to herself with a satisfied smile. Just then, Nathan and Haley walked in and headed for the counter.

"What can I get you guys?" she asked.

"A smoothie and an apple," Haley answered.

"You feeling okay?" Deb asked in concern. Haley usually ate more than that.

"I'm, uh-" Haley said, stammering a bit. She wasn't sure if she should mention this to her mother-in-law.

"Girl stuff, hence the break from studying," Nathan replied softly.

"Gotcha. I'll get you some hot chocolate as well," Deb answered.

"Thank you," Haley said gratefully. The woman walked away and went to prepare the meal. Presently, Rachel, Mouth, and Glenda walked in and joined them.

"Hey, guys," Haley greeted.

"Hey, Tutor Wife," Rachel acknowledged.

"You've been hanging out with Brooke too much," Haley laughed.

"Speaking of Brooke, where is she?" Haley asked.

"And Peyton and Jake?" Nathan chimed.

"Peyton and Jake are taking care of Jenny. They called to let me know that they weren't coming because she felt a bit warm," Glenda answered.

"I invited her, but she said she wanted to spend some time with her dad," Mouth replied at the same time.

"Yeah, wish my parents felt the same way," Glenda muttered.

"Are you **still** not getting through to them?" Mouth asked.

"They're so wrapped up in each other…" Glenda's voiced trailed off.

"Well, that's what your best friends are for: to bring you up when you're down," Rachel assured, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"And to deck you when you're being a total witch," Glenda quipped and Rachel laughed.

"You know, you **still** haven't told me where you learned to punch like that," she said.

"Oh, that's easy. I just watched Brooke and Peyton," came the response. They all laughed. Deb brought out the ordered items and put them in front of the girl.

"Your hot chocolate's on the house," she stated.

"Thanks, Mom," Haley said in surprise. She then turned to her snack. Nathan started to reach for the hot chocolate, but she slapped his hand away, eliciting a laugh from his mother and their friends. Another customer came in and Deb went over to take their order. Then, she went to the back and helped prepare the order. Then, when it was ready, she took it out to them.

"So, is it true that this place was almost a franchise?"

"Yes…but I decided that it wouldn't be the best idea."

"Good. 'Cause it's like here: Tree Hill. There's only one." Overhearing the comment, Nathan shared a smile with his friends.

"If I had one, like a Coke or a Sprite, I'd drink to that," Nathan said. They all laughed. Mouth put his arm around Rachel, who leaned into him. _He's really a good friend_, she thought as a smile graced her features. They were **all** good friends. And to think, she had found them in a little town called Tree Hill.


End file.
